Latches are generally employed to cause an enclosing device, such as a door to an enclosure, to be closed and securely held in the closed position. Oftentimes, such latches are relatively simple mechanical systems, wherein the latch can be manually transitioned from an open position to a closed position, with little to no security associated therewith. In some situations, however, it may be desirable to restrict access to an interior region of an enclosure unless a particular condition is satisfied. In an exemplary embodiment, a fuse box can be positioned on a factory floor and retained in an enclosure, wherein a door to the enclosure can be secured in a closed position through use of a latch. It may be desirable to restrict access to the fuse box to a certified electrician, such that the latch cannot be transitioned to an open position unless identity of the electrician is confirmed. For example, a keypad may be placed in relative close proximity to the latch, and the latch can transition to an open position responsive to the electrician setting forth a proper password through use of the keypad. A circuit associated with the keypad can transmit a signal to the latch responsive to detecting receipt of the proper password, and the latch can transition to the open position responsive to receipt of the signal.
Often, electromechanical latches, such as the type described above, require an external power source (e.g., to operate the circuit and to drive an actuator that transitions the latch to the open position). In other conventional electromechanical latches, batteries can be included therein to power internal circuitry and actuators. Utilization of a battery, however, can increase the size of an electromechanical latch, and further can increase maintenance associated with the electromechanical latch, as the battery will periodically need to be replaced.
Still further, an environment where an electromechanical latch may desirably be employed can be associated with various influences that may affect operation of the electromechanical latch. Exemplary environmental influences include electric fields, vibration, humidity, heat, etc. These influences can negatively impact operation of the electromechanical latch; for example, an electric field may result in an actuator being powered, thus transitioning the electromechanical latch to the open position despite the opening condition being unsatisfied.